Chapter 192

Was it Shining's description of Kal'tsit's past that had affected her? Seeing Nearl's reluctance to remove her armor, Nana felt things might not be so simple...

"Well, I can understand not carrying weapons, but armor..."

With a sigh, Medic stepped forward and ripped off Nearl's armor fastenings:

"Nearl, whatever the 'ball' means to you, Rhodes Island's Christmas dinner is just that—a dinner. It's a prelude to everyone's preparations for the New Year after a busy year. It has no political significance and no potential danger. It's simply a way for people who are usually separated by work or time zones to get together and say Merry Christmas."

Seeing Nearl's thoughtful expression, Nana nodded and handed her a well-fitting Rhodes Island field agent jacket from the spare uniforms in the break room.

"At Rhodes Island, you may often have to pick up a weapon to deal with rampaging patients or enemies who stand in our way for various reasons... but no member of Rhodes Island will scheme against you or go further and try to use your identity as a business."

"Leaving aside how Kal'tsit's disciplined forces would react to someone doing this... firstly, anyone who doesn't consider themselves a member of Rhodes Island is undoubtedly more despicable than our enemies... so whether it's discrimination against the Infected as a Rhodes Island resident, or any objection to your identity, you can tell me... or just tell Kal'tsit directly, and see what happens to them."

"Section Chief... Medic, is it alright for you to say that? You clearly don't even know what happened to me..."

Seeing that Nearl had finally let go of that inexplicable resistance and her behavior became more natural, Medic blinked and flicked her tail:

"If you were a truly wicked person, Kal'tsit wouldn't have kept you by my side for three whole years... Aside from the fact that the Emergency Medical Department is essentially Rhodes Island's lifeline... Don't you think that assigning you to my department for three whole years is a sign of Kal'tsit's trust in you?"

"Or are you really some kind of big bad guys? Although my superior deliberately assigned me to a family that needed my help... but thinking about it carefully, it seems like something Kal'tsit would do to have someone she wanted to eliminate monitored by me."

But that should be a task performed while I am conscious... not a task performed by someone who comes to take my place while I am unconscious, and it is suspected that I am being misled.

This goes without saying; I'm sure Nearl understands.

Seeing that Nearl had finally shed her armor and was in a normal, off-duty state, Nana took out her skincare products to replenish his energy and nodded in satisfaction.

Although Medic had already discovered from her previous remarks that the other party was essentially a girl still living in her own failed past... because of her own background and the 'infection' that Medic couldn't detect at all, she harbored resentment.

But she is equally optimistic and resilient, and has diligently persisted in her job for the first time in three years that she has an attendance record today.

Nana's first impression of her was... a bit gloomy, but earnest and responsible... not the kind of person you'd dislike.

It seems fine whether it's placed independently in the Emergency Medical Department or integrated into the Human Resources Action Group.

Entering the cafeteria with this blonde Kuranta girl, I saw the cats and rabbits who excitedly came over to me as soon as they saw me, and Huang, who seemed to be completely drunk, waving a wine glass at me from a distance.

Medic thought for a moment... his first thought was to find Amiya or the notoriously shameless Warfarin to introduce Miss Nearl, who had been working for three years but had been ignored and even unknown to everyone.

However, as the head of the department who had returned to her post, Nana ultimately dragged Nearl to the center of the makeshift stage herself.

"Ahem... Sound check... Everyone, look at me, I have something to say."

As the Rhodes Island crew quieted down and turned to look at her with military-like efficiency, Nana flashed a smile that was hard to tell if it was for business or uniquely 'Medic,' drawing everyone's attention to the Kuranta girl beside her:

"Hmm... let's start with the fact that this kid hasn't eaten in the cafeteria in the three years he's been at Rhodes Island..."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

pss: I originally thought I could save a sick leave note, but my right index and middle fingers cramped up... This chapter was typed with seven fingers... Fortunately, I have a chance to catch up on the storyline, let's see if it can last until the middle of the month.

PS3: Nearl I was writing this, I suddenly seemed to hear a voice saying something like "The following year is omitted"... (scratching head)

PS4: The Rhodes Island side stories are going to be going on for a while... Let Medic do his job as a doctor.

6th Patriot's Gun: 209 Human Resources Department Update

Medic knew that publicly discussing someone's embarrassing situation was probably not something a department head should do... Nearl's unusual life on Rhodes Island over the past three years was based on her untold past experiences. If this were done by someone from a group with more diverse personalities, Medic would probably become a laughing stock.

That is undoubtedly a form of workplace bullying.

This was undoubtedly hurtful to the person involved, but fortunately, Nearl herself, as a knight, didn't care about it; to her... it seemed to be just a little joke.

Upon hearing about Miss Knight's life, the Rhodes Island operators' first reaction was to warmly welcome her as she officially joined the 'family' called Rhodes Island.

Huang, being the most outgoing and intoxicated, was the first to volunteer to take her to see Rhodes Island's well-equipped training grounds, while ACE's attention was entirely focused on the various marks left on the rookie's hands by rigorous training.

When the team leaders heard that such a disciplined knight had been assigned to the Emergency Medical Department, a subordinate department of the Medical Department, they all immediately lowered their heads and stamped their feet, as if they wanted to have a debate with the head of the Medical Department.

Clearly, with Medic, the head of the Human Resources Department, constantly on the field, Rhodes Island, despite hiring a lot in recent years, still faces a shortage of manpower for its core operations teams.

The thought that Medic had kept this knight, who could go toe-to-toe with ACE in an arm-wrestling event, on hold for three years before sending her on a mission made the Christmas dinner inexplicably turn into a rant about the cat by Rhodes Island's Elite Operator.

But what could Maomao do? For the past three years, she had either been in a coma or sent to do fieldwork. She had only met this colleague from the Emergency Medical Department today... Medic spent the whole night with a long face and droopy ears, holding the beer glass that Huang had given her in both hands. While listening to ACE and the others complain, she also had to perk up and refuse all their requests to lend her people.

Just kidding, my Human Resources Department and Emergency Department are already overstaffed. The two people in the Emergency Medical Department have been working non-stop for three years... If we don't get Rhodes Island's manpower properly managed, Nana feels that she will eventually become the all-around overtime worker that Closure used to joke about.

On December 26, 1094... On this day that was still supposed to be a Christmas holiday, Nana had to call all three members of her two departments to the lounge for a meeting.

Given the large number of people involved, and to avoid overcrowding in the lounge, Medic also allowed everyone to listen in online via Rhodes Island's onboard network.

But when the appointed time of 8 a. m. arrived, Medic sat on the sofa in the lounge, letting Rosemary flutter her tail behind her with a blank expression... Now, Medic had Huang sitting to his left and Su Sulo to his right, and there was even FrostNova on the sofa opposite the coffee table in front of him... The number of people was a bit unexpected.

"... Wasn't this supposed to be a departmental meeting?"

Faced with Jessica's obedient question, Nana's cat ears twitched in a circle; she actually wanted to ask the same question too.

However, the White Rabbit in front of Medic was quite self-aware. Seeing that the topic had turned to her, the Yeti Princess, whose complexion had improved considerably, was still quite eye-catching despite being forbidden from using magic, as her military and police attire was still very attractive.

"Are you wondering why I'm here? It's mainly about the treatment costs..."

Pointing her finger, FrostNova seemed somewhat insincere:

"Although Talulah said she would provide medical expenses until our condition stabilizes, it's still a lot of money. I spent Christmas with the Reunion Movement, and since I was passing by, I asked about how other Rhodes Island residents repaid their medical expenses if they couldn't afford them."

Following up on the topic of the White Rabbit, Nana recalled the contents of documents she used to glance at and then toss aside:

"... If I remember correctly, those were all contracts where labor services were exchanged for treatment... from various chores to trainee field support staff, there were several different levels of contracts."

"... Actually, I did consider joining Rhodes Island directly."

With a single, unexpected remark, White Rabbit successfully made the two people next to Medic freeze... Although to others it might seem like just an ordinary statement, to Huang and the others who had exchanged some 'little secrets' on Christmas Eve, FrostNova's words were clearly pointed!

The White Rabbit watched Huang and Su Sulo, who unconsciously tugged at Medic's sleeve, with a smile on her face for a while, until Nagisa put down her teacup. The soft clinking of the porcelain seemed like a signal, and only then could the heavy air be breathed.

"Clearly, Miss FrostNova, you haven't made up your mind yet..."

"... Indeed. The main problem is that I don't know when Ursus will need me to go back... and just staying here and waiting for something to happen before leaving... is obviously not a good idea."

"Rhodes Island's medical personnel contracts aren't too harsh, but they still involve working on Landship... Once the voyage is completely far from Ursus, we don't know when or where we'll be when we receive news from there again."

Seeing the White Rabbit's wistful expression, Huang, with a slight smile, leaned on Medic's shoulder as if he hadn't woken up yet and spread his hands towards FrostNova:

"So you still haven't made up your mind? Then please leave. After all, this is an internal departmental operations meeting."

It's unclear whether Huang's appearance reminded Su Sulo of something, but the pink-haired Little Fox then got up, grabbed Huang, and walked out of the lounge together.

Although Huang, as a member of the action team, was absolutely stronger than Su Sulo, as a friend, Huang was unwilling but genuinely being dragged along by Su Sulo was only up to her chest.

"Huh? Huh? Su Sulo?"

"You yourself said this is an internal operations meeting... What are you, a member of the E3 Action Group, still doing here? FrostNova too... Let's go wait somewhere else."

Seeing the Little Fox's urging, FrostNova smiled helplessly at Medic and then got up... Nagisa, on the other hand, remained as unmoved as ever.

"Miss Nagisa?"

"... Although, I was indeed an invitee to the meeting, wasn't I?"

Seeing her beige-blonde 'childhood friend' giving her meaningful glances, Nana reluctantly took out the document signed by Kal'tsit that she had printed out that day—the operating license for 'Licorice Cafe'.

As part of the support team for 'Killer Number Seventy-Seven', Nagisa was indeed there on behalf of Mika, who was still hospitalized, and Seia, who had not yet appeared... as well as some other people who seemed to have been forgotten and were also staying in the hospital ward, to confirm Rhodes Island's arrangements for them.

Watching the pink-haired Little Fox lead the big cat and the White Rabbit away, Nana breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at everyone present:

"Alright... let's officially begin. First, that's Nearl, the Emergency Medical Department representative... and the other shift member is Dr. Shining, she's on duty, you can recognize her from the live stream."

Giving everyone a moment to pick up their phones and open the web conference room, Nana looked at everyone present:

"Aside from the new Emergency Medical Department staff, the others are either long-time employees who have been with me since the Ticarondo Incident, or newcomers who came here from Ursus... although they've all been working here for a few months, so they're not exactly new anymore."

"As I wrote in the outline of my recollection, the Human Resources Department should ultimately be a department that coordinates the company's personnel, but before achieving that goal, we need to streamline our personnel first..."

After making this brief speech, Nana opened the PowerPoint presentation that PRTS had prepared for her. A chart was then displayed, clearly showing several organizational structures centered around Nana, projected onto the screen in the lounge:

"Although breaking down everyone's work feels a bit endless, generally speaking, there are only a few departments under my jurisdiction... Rhodes Island Human Resources Department, the Field Operations Unit under the Human Resources Department, the Emergency Medical Department under the Medical Department... and the new LycoLyco Café that will be added today."

When Medic said the word 'coffee shop' in a serious tone, the expressions of the people sitting upright in their seats became slightly strange.

But since the cat was talking about work, everyone maintained a serious atmosphere. Some were camping, while others were holding pens... Only Franka, who was naturally lazy, would twirl a ballpoint pen between her fingers like a toy... which almost caught Nana's attention.

"... The Human Resources Department, plus the current concept of the 'Central Headquarters,' has seven departments: Security Department, Intelligence Department, Welfare Department, Training Department, Control Department, and Punishment Department... Currently, the Central Headquarters is not yet operational because I have been on field missions. As for the heads of the other departments... you should all be very familiar with them."

"But clearly, represented by W, the head of the Security Department, none of you are used to formal reporting procedures."

Seeing everyone's attention suddenly focused on her, W, dressed in a red dress and leather pants, with her boots resting on the table, and playing Ursus Blocks on her Terminal, paused for a moment, startled by everyone's gaze:

"Huh? Aren't we on vacation? And you haven't even taken me to see Kal'tsit yet..."

Seeing W's Mercenaries -like demeanor, Nana wagged her tail in exasperation.

"... After lunch, you and I will go to the Medical Department together. Then remember to upload the security operation report from the Snowfield to PRTS for backup... As for Ah Fu, he was transferred from the Welfare Department for acting on his own in the Snowfield. Now he works in the Intelligence Department as an advisor... Please be aware of this."

"The Welfare Department is now managed by Eileen... Although Rhodes Island isn't Snowfield, managing the lives of nearly a hundred people across seven departments in the Human Resources Department isn't a simple task... Eileen, if there's anything you're unsure about, just come to me. PRTS is very easy to contact."

Despite Nana's instructions, even after returning to Rhodes Island, she remained dressed in a Victoria maid outfit, maintaining her black hair disguise, and showed no intention of replying to her horn... Eileen maintained her perfect maid demeanor, rising to lift her skirt and bowing slightly.

Nana also turned to the next page of the PPT: i

"... As for the Training Department, everyone knows it was originally my department for taking care of the children... but now it also handles Rhodes Island's 'socialization training.' I don't know if Aili and Xiya have ever been through bloodshed, but anyway, since it's a place for the children to learn, I'm going to leave it to them to handle themselves... Rosemary, you need to keep an eye on them. If any conflicts arise during their studies, you need to stop them immediately... You're the head of the Training Department now." V

Nana stroked the head of the Little Cat that had rested its chin on her shoulder from behind, and wrote the Little Cat's full name on the official PRTS application form.

Although Rosemary is only thirteen this year, still quite young... Rosemary, after all, Top Operator with an official qualification certificate issued by Rhodes Island.

Medic didn't see any insurmountable obstacle for Little Cat to be the so-called 'Minister'... In fact, the tasks of the Training Department seemed to be Rosemary's daily routine.

The Little Cat, sensing Nana's thoughts through Empathy, nodded repeatedly.

"Maintain order during class, lead everyone to not disturb the doctor's playtime after class, and go to Amiya's room to do homework after school... Leave it all to me! I'll keep an eye on everyone." —Ling

"... Remember to do your homework yourself..." Qi

After giving these instructions to Rosemary, Nana then looked at the Child of Earth and Stone, who had been notified of the meeting but had been completely invisible despite joining Rhodes Island immediately:

"Mudrock, I apologize for not assigning tasks to everyone before... Just like back in the Snowfield, I've decided to hand over the Control Department to your squad." (Art)

"... I always thought I was from the Special Human Resources Department's Operations Team..."

Although she had taken off her protective suit once before, the white-haired Sarkaz woman now seems more comfortable with being completely covered up.

Nana also answered the question about Mudrock:

"The Special Human Resources Department's Operations Group used a special contract method, while handing over the Control Department to you means that you yourself are a full Rhodes Island operator... This is the difference in contracts."

"Only operators who sign long-term contracts with Rhodes Island under the guise of other organizations and conduct fieldwork can operate under the name of 'Human Resources Department Special Operations Group' because they cannot be identified as Rhodes Island employees... Look, Jessica and the others are even wearing Blacksteel uniforms."

"Is that... what you mean? I thought... I was being ostracized."

"... Why does it sound like Mudrock, you're making it sound like we Blacksteel BPRS are being ostracized?"

"Franka, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

Ignoring the interaction from the Blacksteel Crosstalk Duo, Medic looked at the Punishment Department at the very end of the PPT.

In the Snowfield, this department is staffed by Sarkaz Mercenaries to maintain order inside the Exploration Vehicle and prevent malicious individuals from Reunion Movement.

To be honest, Medic had indeed considered whether the Punishment Department was still necessary, given the presence of various action groups and the Kal'tsit SWEEP unit on Rhodes Island itself.

However, in terms of organization, the Punishment Department has a large number of Sarkaz veterans and Reunion Movement defectors who have received Shieldguards military training... They are the most disciplined team under Nana's command.

Compared to W, who's a complete novice in international warfare and only knows how to blow things up, these Sarkaz Mercenaries who fought their way from Kazdel to the Reunion Movement are decisive and ruthless, Nana really loves how they can cut down their former comrades without hesitation.

"... Everyone, is anyone interested in taking over the Punishment Department?"

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: I didn't realize how chaotic Nana's management was until I wrote this down... I probably need to make a mind map to specifically mark it... otherwise, I estimate I won't even know what I wrote when I come back a month later.

6th Patriot's Gun: 210 The cat is adjusting to its new job.

"Disciplinary Department? Is that a department that's absolutely necessary?"

"... I don't know if it's absolutely necessary, but if it's not, then the 28 people in the Disciplinary Department must be transferred elsewhere."

"Actually, they're all pretty much the same... we're not picky about jobs."

Medic shook his head and flicked his tail at W's continued casual waving.

"Of course not, these are not the same thing. Rhodes Island only has three parts: civilian staff, logistics operations team, and field operations team. And without exception, these positions require a fairly high standard of identity and political vetting before anyone is allowed to take them on."

"Rhodes Island's Human Resources Department doesn't talk about this much, because the Human Resources Department's field teams are places where all sorts of people come from... They are the 'relationship lines' to the outside world, and also an important guarantee to prevent Rhodes Island from having too many military personnel in the eyes of the outside world."